Cheeky Magpie

Cobra

Cobra

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I've seen a magpie hanging around my pond on a few occasions, I thought it was getting a drink.

Tonight I was sat right by the pond after feeding the fish on floating pellets.
The magpie wandered up, and across the 2" heavy duty netting. ( required because of a local Heron)
By standing in the middle it had figured out that the net sags just enough for it to get its head through and just reach the water with its beak..

It was bobbing for apples fish food, all the while, I was less than 6 feet away.
 
Soon be eatin' size!
 
Cobra said:
But the fish won't be if it keeps stealing their food :(
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Well, carp often tastes a bit muddy anyway.

On a slightly related topic, how do herons know which of the koi/fish in a pond are the most valuable?
 
Nod said:
On a slightly related topic, how do herons know which of the koi/fish in a pond are the most valuable?
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I don't have anything valuable in there thankfully, I only lost one goldfish, some years ago, which prompted me to "borrow" some heavy duty
landfill litter netting ... Oh that reminds me, I must take it back :D

My neighbour caught me when I got home that fateful day, telling me all about a Heron, she'd seen standing in my pond..
FFS woman, why didn't you throw something at it? :(

Since netting it I often see it sat on the back fence :(
 
I did see a gadget in a koi shop, it has a sensor that monitors the area by the pond, if it detects anything it flashes lights and sprays water to deter the pest ... but the same company sold floading net plates so not sure they were 100% about it working
 
Isn't nature wonderful? Animals will always find a way to get food.

I am in a constant battle with our local squirrel who is determined to crack the bird feeder guard.
 
We have had to up our heron defences. I think I lost a few goldfish last week and there is a very big one with wounds to it's head and side where the bloody bird tried to spear him at least twice. I think I've got rid of the thing now as the fish are coming to me for food again whereas for about a week they wouldn't come off the bottom. They are a beautiful bird but I wish they'd f off to a stream somewhere and leave my little pond alone.

Squirrels are rife at the moment and have been for a couple of years. I'd hate to have to get the air rifle out, I don't like to kill anything, but they are becoming real pests now to the detriment of our wild bird support.
 
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wornish said:
I am in a constant battle with our local squirrel who is determined to crack the bird feeder guard.
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ShinySideUp said:
but they are becoming real pests now to the detriment of our wild bird support.
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Curiously I have a squirrel that raids the ground feeding station, designed to keep out anything bigger than a blackbird.
Easy pickings for it.
It also visits the hanging nut feeder, and so far has managed to eat the nuts without chewing through the wire.
Fair enough, but the minute it does the traps go out.
 
Would you like to come down with one of my friends Chris :)
 
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Dale. said:
Very intelligent birds.


View: https://youtu.be/N5YbWHrnjrg
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When I was drinking too much, I had a plan to catch a couple of the feral parakeets and teach them a few choice phrases in the hope that they'd pass on the knowledge to the rest of the flock. Living close to 200 miles from them sort of put the kibosh on that plan! Oh, and for the record, it WASN'T me who spent an evening trying to teach Fergie (in the North Bridge Inn) to say "I'm an ignorant mangy parrot" but by the end of the evening, everyone did believe that Matt, the perpetrator, was indeed ignorant and mangy!
 
Cobra said:
I've seen a magpie hanging around my pond on a few occasions, I thought it was getting a drink.

Tonight I was sat right by the pond after feeding the fish on floating pellets.
The magpie wandered up, and across the 2" heavy duty netting. ( required because of a local Heron)
By standing in the middle it had figured out that the net sags just enough for it to get its head through and just reach the water with its beak..

It was bobbing for apples fish food, all the while, I was less than 6 feet away.
Click to expand...

Great observation of behaviour, Cobra.

You must have good fieldcraft(which as a Cobra you could well have) or a very chilled magpie. I've always found magpies to be very wary and have never got close to one.

Next time we need a photo.

Dave
 
Tringa said:
or a very chilled magpie.
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I think its a yung'un that's not developed a fear response of humans so far.
The other few that hang around the bird feeders are very flighty.

Tringa said:
Next time we need a photo.
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I'll try and remember, it usually turns up around 4pm, its certainly a creature of habit.
 
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